XII. On the development and morphology of phylloglossum drummondii

Abstract

Within the last twelve months the interest of Botanists has been centred afresh in the investigation of the Lycopodinœ , It is sufficient to refer to the recent writings of Bruchmann,* Treub, and Solms-Laubach, to indicate how actively the investi­gation of these plants is being pursued. It had long been the wish of the author of this paper to obtain material for the careful investigation of the less known members of the Lycopodinœ , and especially of Phylloglossum ; the authorities of the .Royal Gardens at Kew made this known to Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, and from him there were received during the latter half of 1884 two consignments of living tubers of Phylloglossum Drummondii , as well as a supply of mature plants preserved in alcohol. The tubers germinated successfully, in the propagating pits at Kew, and the material was thus at hand for the investigation of the development and histology of this little known plant. As cirqjimstances will for the present prevent the author from continuing his work, and as the Lycopodinœ are now one of the focal points of botanical interest, it appears desirable that the chief facts thus far acquired should at once be published, while a discussion of these results, and their bearing upon recent observations of other forms, may for the present be postponed. The structure and development of the sporophore generation only will be described at present. Many of the plants now growing at Kew already bear immature sporangia, but the description of their development will be deferred till the sporangia have arrived at maturity, and until attempts have been made to germinate the spores : the general treatment of the subject will be better in place when it is seen what results, if any, are acquired from those cultures of the spores. For similar reasons it would be both inconvenient and inopportune now to review the writings already published by various authors on Phylloglossum . This memoir will therefore deal merely with the observa­tions recently made by the author ; in some points it will be seen that they confirm the observations of previous writers, in others they are not in accord with them: they will be placed in relation with those of other authors when the investigations, which are still in progress, have been as far as possible completed.